News

TOY for Inclusion and the EU debate on Roma Inclusion

December 1, 2017 |

Our project TOY for Inclusion seems to be tackling some very important issues related to Roma children’s access to early childhood education and care. Most of these issues, unfortunately, are not so central to the political debate at European level.

Our partner in the TOY for Inclusion project, the Romani Early Years Network – REYN, posted a news about the recent meeting of the EU Platform for Roma Inclusion 2017, held in Brussels on 27 to 28 November. The meeting focused on the “transition from education to employment”. According to REYN, unfortunately, the situation of the youngest children was hardly discussed. The event also failed to recognize that the best education starts at birth.

What is TOY for Inclusion?

TOY for Inclusion promotes the involvement of Roma and non-Roma children and their families in non-formal early childhood education and care initiatives. It aims to improve the transition experience of Roma young children from home to preschools and schools by offering an innovative response to discrimination of Roma communities.

We are creating non-segregated multigenerational play spaces (ECEC Play Hubs) in seven European countries: Belgium, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia. These spaces are designed and run by local committees composed by representatives of both communities, school and preschool teachers, community development workers and local authorities. The Play Hubs mobilize local communities around young children, and organise intergenerational activities involving older people with and without a Roma background.

For more information about the TOY for Inclusion Play Hubs, click here.